Objective: To understand the association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB polymorphism and patients diagnosed as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
Methods: HLA-DR allele polymorphism was detected by PCR-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP). Hantavirus (HV) typed as Hantaan virus (HTNV) and Seoul virus (SEOV) in patients were detected by RT-heminested PCR.
Results: The gene frequency of DRB1*0401-0411, *1001 and *1101-1105 in HFRS case group were 3.1%, 2.2% and 15.7% respectively. Compared with control group, it was significant higher in HFRS case group (RR = 13.87, 9.72 and 2.00 respectively with Chi-square value as 10.006, 6.324 and 6.472 respectively, P < 0.05). When compared with HFRS case group, the gene frequency of DRB1*1501-1502, DRB4 and DRB5 in control group were 11.0%, 19.0% and 16.9% respectively, markedly lower than in patients (RR = 0.45, 0.58 and 0.23 respectively. Chi-square values were 6.138, 4.583 and 21.076 respectively, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in other HLA-DR gene frequencies. Mixed infection was found in Hubei, with HTNV slightly more than SEOV. Distinct hantaviruses could coexist in either different or the same geographic or ecological zores in Hubei province. Patients with HLA-DRB1*1101-1105 alleles were 81.8% (27/33) infected by HTNV and only 18.2% infected by SEOV, which had significant difference (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: DRB1*0401-0411, *1001 and *1101-1105 were possibly associated with increased susceptibility to HV infection. On the other hand there was an inverse correlation among HFRS, DRB1*1501-1502, DRB4 and DRB5.